NORWALK -- A 31-year-old city woman was arrested on a warrant Thursday for allegedly falsely telling police she had been kidnapped after failing to pick up her 5-year-old child from school.

Michelle O'Brien was charged with making a false statement. She was arraigned Thursday afternoon at Norwalk Superior Court, and Judge William Wenzel reduced her $20,000 bond to a promise to appear in court. O'Brien must seek substance abuse treatment through Connecticut Counseling and cooperate with the state Department of Children and Families as conditions of her release. Her next court date is Jan. 23.

O'Brien caused major alarm on the afternoon of Dec. 20, 2013, after falsely telling an employee at Marvin Elementary School that she had been kidnapped, police said. O'Brien's 5-year-old daughter had been returned to the school, because no adult was at the bus stop waiting for her, according to an affidavit.

When the school employee called O'Brien, O'Brien told the employee that she was being held against her will, police said.

The school employee, in turn, called police, and police spoke with O'Brien, police said. O'Brien was unable to identify her captor nor was she able to tell him where she was located, police said.

At one point, police told her to look out the window and describe the area. She described an area with similarities to the intersection of Fort Point and Van Zant streets, according to police.

After speaking with police again, O'Brien told officers that her former boyfriend was holding her captive, police said. Officers went to the last known address of O'Brien's former boyfriend and learned that the man was incarcerated, police said.

Dispatchers finally pinpointed O'Brien's location to the apartment building at 10 Fort Point St., according to police.

Residents, including a 54-year-old city man, were standing outside of the building when police arrived, police said.

Officers asked about O'Brien, and the 54-year-old replied casually that she was inside of his apartment, police said.

The 54-year-old was briefly detained, and O'Brien was located inside of his apartment, police said.

She later told officers that she had been drinking beer and smoking crack with the 54-year-old all day, police said. When asked why she told so many people that she'd been kidnapped, O'Brien laughed and smiled, according to police.

O'Brien was taken via ambulance to Norwalk Hospital for acute intoxication, police said.

Officer Shoubert Paulemon prepared a warrant for O'Brien's arrest shortly after the incident, and the warrant was signed on Dec. 31, 2013.